Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-30
IDAHO'S RABBIT PLAGUE.

General Brisbin Says It 10 Almost as Bad
There as 1t Is in Australia.
Fort Mckinney, Wyo =, Letter to New YORK
The rabbits are again becoming q
plague in many portions of Idaho, Ne
vada and Wyoming. These little bun
MES bid fair to do as much damage in our
country as they have in Australia, unless
timely steps are taken for their eXterIni-
nation. In Australis, in many places,
they have eaten up the whole of the
country, even the sheep pastures being
destroyed by them. 1t seems strange
that national legislation should be re-
quired against SO small an animal as q
rabbit, but the English colonists Of Au-
stralia are glad enough to have the gov
eminent aid them in destroying the little
pests. Everything green and every blade
of grass is eaten by them to the earth,
and excepting the grasshopper it would
be impossible to conceive Of anything
more destructive to vegetation than a
rabbit. They appear in vast armies, and
moving across country strip it of all
vegetable matter. Gardens are their
special delight, and not vegetable is
left where they can once take hold.
When out in Idaho, year or two ago.
had some experience with rabbits. They
appeared in great numbers along the
Oregon Short Line, and in some towns
destroyed all the gardens. Near Boise
they attacked the grain fields and even
the pastures. The methods of destroying
them were sometimes novel. One gen.
tlemsn who had grain field and garden
patch surrounded the field with board
On bis fence next 10 the ground. Above
the board he drew a wire very tight and
just close enough to the board to let the
rabbits head through. In trying to get
over the board they got fast ana hanged
themselves. His field WAS pretty well
strung around every morning with dea /
rabbits.
Another farmer put brush. fence
around his field and here and there made
8 hole through it. On the other side OF
the holes he sank large boxes in the
ground. The bunnies would run through
the hole, fall into the boxes and be unable
to get out. Another farmer put boxes
under his fences with fitting lids. The
outside was firm enough but no sooner
would the rabbit attempt to run through
than the treacherous lid would tip up and
land him in the box below. Then it
would tip back into it's place again and be
ready for another rabbit. In the morn
ing the boys, armed with pitchforks,
would.go around the field, kill the rab its
and pitch them into wagon. They often
got a wagon load in the morning. The
rabbits were fed to the hogs.
Another method was the surround
A large pit or hole was dug in the ground
where the rabbits were thickest, and
brush piled around the pit for some
distance out. Than the men and boys
made surround, beating the brush up
and frightening the Dummies towards the
pit. When ell had closed in the brush
was fred all around the outside, and the
little creatures TO escape the flames would
Jump into the pit. Those that did not fall
into the pit were roasted or. killed by the
men and boys who stood close together
around the outside armed with clubs and
pitchforks.
Lux & Miller, the CREST cattle raisers,
whose ranches were completely overrun
with rabbits, offered reward Of 5 cents
piece for them, and the boys made good
wages killing them. A boy in dsy with
good luck could kill and deliver from
fifty to 100, SO he msdea good sum. Lux
& Miller threw the dead rabbits into big
vat where they were boiled, skin and all,
and then fed to the hogs 10 fatten them.
1t is said they make good hcg feed, and
the hogs fatten very rapidly upon rabbit
flesh.
Pasteur, the great French specialist and
curer of mad-dog bite By incubation,
says he can kill IF all the rabbits in the
United States and Australia by inocula-
ton. His plan is to iroculate five rab-
bits with chicken cholora and let them 60
among the other rabbits. The disease is
very contagious and fatal, and he con-
tends they would soon give it to each
other and all die OF. It is certainly
worth trying, for greater pest than an
excess OF rabbits cannot be imagined.
JAMES S. BRIsBIN.